Event Details

Join the Theophilus Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christianity on August 2, 2025 for our inaugural Summer Lecture!

Theophilus Center director Andrew H. Waller will present a lecture entitled “Ben-Hur, Josephus, and the Walking Dead.” Andrew will examine the presentation of leprosy in Lew Wallace’s classic novel Ben-Hur, highlighting Wallace’s misunderstandings of leprosy in both biblical law and early Judaism. Andrew will also describe how the enormous popularity of Wallace’s novel and its influence on subsequent mass media portrayals of leprosy have shaped our conceptions of both ancient lepra and modern Hansen’s Disease.

This event will be hosted in Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The address as well as parking information will be sent to attendees following registration.

Registration

Tickets are available via Eventbrite.